Backgammon – 3 Main Strategies

Read more about the
Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

In astonishingly simple terms, there are 3 fundamental techniques employed. You must be able to hop between tactics quickly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This consists of building a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you can manage, to barricade in your opponent’s pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is judged to be the most adequate tactic at the begining of the game. You can create the wall anyplace between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the game continues.

The Blitz

This consists of locking your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your opposer on the bar. For example, if your opposer rolls an early 2 and shifts one piece from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you will be able to play six/one six/one eight/three eight/three. Your opponent is then in big-time dire straits due to the fact that they have two pieces on the bar and you have locked half your inside board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have two or more anchors in your opponent’s inner board. (An anchor is a point filled by at a minimum two of your checkers.) It should be played when you are decidedly behind as this plan greatly improves your chances. The best areas for anchor spots are towards your opponent’s smaller points and also on abutting points or with one point in between. Timing is essential for a competent backgame: besides, there’s no reason having 2 nice anchor spots and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break up this right away, while your challenger is moving their pieces home, because you do not have other additional checkers to shift! In this case, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position up until your challenger provides you a chance to hit, so it will be a wonderful idea to try and get your opposer to hit them in this situation!